On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins

Author:Kristan Higgins [Higgins, Kristan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2017-01-31T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

Kate

On Friday, I went to my parents’ house for a family dinner. Ainsley had to be in the city for work, which may or may not have been coincidental. My mother often held family dinners when Ainsley was out of town. Every summer, when Ainsley and Eric were off on vacation with the Fishers, Mom held a neighborhood picnic, too.

I wondered if Nathan and Madeleine had ever gone on vacation with his parents. I’d never asked.

I hadn’t read those emails yet, either. I just couldn’t, and now the thought of them sat in my mind like a tumor.

Being with my family would be a good distraction.

My parents’ house had been redecorated since the last time I was over, before Nathan died. Everything was now white, save for the abused “pop of color” notion that embodied itself in orange throw pillows—three in a line on the couch, one on each white chair.

I went into the kitchen. “Hi, everyone.”

“I’m so glad you’re here,” my mother said. “We all want to see how you’re doing.”

“I’m okay,” I lied. There was no way in hell that I’d tell them about finding the emails.

“One month is usually a turning point,” she said. “Especially since you really didn’t know Nathan very long.” She poured herself some wine and fluffed her stiff hair, ignoring the fact that her words had just stabbed me.

I remember going to one of her book signings, where people would break down, telling her how her wisdom and kindness had changed their lives. She’d take them in her arms and often wipe away her own tears. Genuine tears.

She’d always been better with strangers.

“Hello, my darling!” said Gram-Gram. “Oh, you look so pretty! Shall we have lunch together sometime?”

“That would be really nice, Gram-Gram.”

“I have a wake to go to tomorrow. Would you like to come to that? We could get sushi afterward. Did you know sushi is raw fish? I just found that out!”

“Yes to the sushi, no to the wake,” I said, forcing a smile.

“How’s my princess?” Dad asked, coming inside from where he’d been avoiding the rest of us. He squeezed my shoulder.

“I’m fine, Dad. How are the Yankees?”

“Horrible this year. The Orioles, though—shockingly good so far.”

“Nice call the other night. At second?”

He grinned, the eternal boy of summer. “Thanks, babe. It was a close one, but the replay proved me right.”

“Hey, Kate,” Sean said, giving me the requisite fraternal half hug. Even better, he gave me Sadie.

“Hi, sweet pea,” I said, kissing her head and breathing in her smell. “Hi, Esther, hi, Mattie.” The other kids gave me dutiful hugs. “God, Matthias, you’re getting tall.”

“So good to see you,” said Kiara, kissing me on both cheeks. “The kids have missed you!”

“Is this true?” I asked my nephew.

“Absolutely,” he lied, the good-hearted boy.

Sadie wriggled to get down, then tugged on Esther’s skirt. “Come play!” she demanded, the little tyrant. My arms felt lonely without her.

“Please stay off the white chairs and couch,” Mom called.

“How have you been?” Kiara asked, her eyes kind.

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